Mail-box.



No. 776,630. PATENTBD DEC. 6, 1904.

L. D. WEST.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Witnesses Inventor l I w I I I J M Hctornegs Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

LYNCH D. WEST, OF MOLINE, KANSAS.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,630, dated December6, 1904. Application filed May 5, 1904. $erial No. 206,556. (No model.)

To all whom, it natty concern.-

Be it known that I, LYNCH D. VVEsT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Molinc, in the county of Elk and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is aspecification.

Myinvention relates to mail-boxes designed especially for use in ruraldistricts, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simpleinexpensive device of this character which may be readily opened andwill automatically close and lock and one in which its contents will befully exposed to view and thoroughly protected from the weather.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of constructionand combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of amail-box embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinalsection through the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig.2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an outer shell or casingcomprising a pair of end members or heads 2, having inwardly-extendingmarginal flanges 3 and a body-wall4, composed, preferably, of sheetmetal and cut away, as shown, to provide an enlarged front opening 5,there being attached in any suitable man ner to the rear portion of thebody-wall a pair of perforated ears or lugs 6, oppositely disposed andadapted to receive suitable fastening devices by means of which the boxis attached to a post or other support.

Disposed for rotation within the casing 1 is a hollow drum or receptacle7, constituting the box proper and comprising a pair of circulardisk-like end members or heads 8, centrally pivoted by bolts orotherwise to the end members 2 of the casing, and a bod y-wall 9,attached to and carried by the heads 8, said wall being composed partlyof glass or other transparent ma terial, as at 10, and partly of sheetmetal 11. The glass portion 10 of the drum has its ends seated insuitable semicircular grooves or seats 12, provided in the end members,which latter are also provided with inwardly-extending flanges 13, towhich the adjacent ends of the sheetmetal portion 11 of the drum areriveted, and with segmental slots or guides 14, designed to receiveguide members or pins 15, fixed to and projecting inward from thecasing-heads 2, whereby the drum will be guided and limited in itsrotation, while the longitudinal edges of the glass 10 are seated ingrooves formed for the purpose, respectively, upon the adjacent edge ofthe sheet-metal portion 11 and on a member or binding 16, attached atits ends in some suitable manner to the heads 8.

The receptacle 7 is provided with an enlarged opening or mouth 17,extending throughout its entire length and of a width substantiallycoincident with the width of the opening 5, the end edges of whichlatter curve upward to and terminate in a letter-receiving opening 18,attention being directed to the fact that the drum 7 is normally turnedon its pivot to closed position with the openings 5 and 17 out ofregister and the inlet-opening 18 normally closed by means of weights19, provided on the end members 8 by thickening or enlarging the latterat suitable points during the course of construction. When the drum isin normal position, the glass portion 10 will lie in front of theopening 5 of the casing, whereby the contents of the box will beeffectually exposed to view, and in order that the letters or otherobjects may occupy the best position for observation I provide along thenormally lower portion of the wall of the drum a groove or depression20, which receives the edges of the letters when deposited in the boxand prevents them from lying flat within the latter. Thus it is apparentthat the contents of the box will be fully exposed to view and may beobserved at any considerable distance from the box, thereby materiallyfacilitating the operation of collecting the mail.

Provided upon the inner face of the head 2, preferably at the right-handend of the casing, is a suitable lock including a sliding springactuatedbolt 21, adapted for operation by a suitable key to be inserted througha keyhole 22 and designed for engagement with a keeper 23, provided uponthe outer face of the adjacent head 8 of the drum, said keeperpreferably consisting of a pair of spaced lugs which IOO receive thebolt between them. When the drum swings to closed position through themedium of the weights 19, the bolt 21 will automatically engage with thekeeper for locking the drum in closed position, attention being directedto the fact, however, that the bolt will have suflicient play laterallybetween the lugs to permit of the drum being suitably oscillated forintroducing mail-matter through the opening 18, but insufficient topermit tampering of the contents of the box.

In order that the drum may be conveniently manipulated for depositingmail and for opening the box to remove its contents, I provide asuitable handpiece 24, preferably cast or molded directly onto the glass10 or other material composing the drum and in the form of a series ofconcentric grooves, as shown, to receive the ends of the operatorsfingers.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple deviceadmirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view, it beingunderstood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the class described, the combination with a casing including endmembers, of a drum pivoted for rotation within the casing and alsoincluding end members, a guideway provided in an end member of one ofthe parts, and a guide member carried by the adjacent end member of theother part and in engagement with the guideway.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casingincluding end members, of a drum pivoted for rotation within the casingand having end members, one of the end members of the drum beingprovided with a guide-slot, and a fixed guide member carried by theadjacent end member of the casing and engaging said slot.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing, ofa drum pivoted for rotation therein, said drum being adapted to move toopen or closed position, a pair of spaced lugs provided on one end ofthe drum, and a spring-actuated locking member carried by the adjacentend of the casing and adapted to engage between the lugs for locking thedrum against rotation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LYNCH D. WEST.

Witnesses:

H. E. TURNER, R. WV. ELSTUN.

